INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4, APR 2018 ISSN 2277-8616 315 IJSTR©2018 www.ijstr.org The Realities Of Maintenance And Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) Allocation In Basic Education System: Unheard Voices Of Public School Teachers Normi Roxan C. Ochada, Dr. Gloria P. Gempes Abstract: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences, coping mechanisms and insights of 17 teachers regarding the MOOE allocation in basic education system. The data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussion which were subjected to thematic analysis. The result revealed the proper implementation/utilization of MOOE fund by the principal. However, concerns on teacher‘s trust on the MOOE transparency and non-involvement of teachers in financial planning were also observed and experienced. Coping mechanisms of the participants included openness and acceptance, indifference, and resourcefulness and creativity. The participants‘ insights based on their experiences were: MOOE is fund provision for schools‘ maintenance and operation, teachers to be centrally involved in the MOOE allocation, and there are varied sentiments on the integrity of MOOE spending. The study implies that creating an environment of trust in the school may result to satisfactory performance of teachers and students. Furthermore, transparency and openness of the School Head may encourage teacher‘s participation and commitment to school improvement. Key Words: basic education, education, maintenance and other operating expenses, public school teachers, Philippines ——————————  —————————— 1. Introduction The Department of Education continues to upgrade its services to enhance teaching standards and learning outcomes. One of the reforms is the transference of responsibilities on school to manage their operation and resources for school development so as to develop an environment that facilitates continuous improvement. However, school budget preparation and implementation by the school principals need to be improved to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilization of school funds. Connectedly, Department of Education Order 13, s. 2016 otherwise known as ―Implementing Guidelines on the Direct Release and Use of Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) Allocations of Schools, including Other Funds Managed by Schools‖ was issued to deepen the decentralization of education management. Thus, school principal has the authority to manage school finances. However, if this fund, if unmanaged properly can cause conflict between the principal and the teachers. Moreover, it has been reported that principals and school governing body members have been investigated by the Department of Education due to mismanagement of funds through misappropriation, fraud, pilfering of cash, theft and improper control of financial records [56]. Consequently, there are many principals and School Governing Body members who are placed in troubled positions because they are unable to work out practical solutions to financial problems [43]. Education for all is promoted by the Ministry of Education in Thailand. However, despite the dedication and serious commitment of the political leaders in giving the public schools with enough funds to provide all the necessary materials for the school operations, decades have passed, yet the goal has never been achieved and most of the stakeholders are putting the blame to ethics and corruption in education [28]. In public schools in the Philippines, there were already issues arising regarding the usage of MOOE as there are some teachers who claim that there are shady transactions regarding this matter. The situation was heightened when Income Generating Projects are taken into considerations. As stipulated in the Education Act of 1982 [22], School Administrators, or all persons occupying policy implementing positions, which include the school principals have the right to draft proposals and claim the outcome from income generating projects as all schools are entitled to get assistance (Chapter 5, Sec. 39). Financial accountability in the school funds has always been an issue in many schools outside the country. In the Philippines, although there have been many news articles circulating through different media, informing the public of the corruption of school principals and other school administrators, with the misusage of MOOE and IGP funds, the researcher has hardly come across of a study conducted to prove such phenomenon. As the public teachers have the closest encounters with the school heads, being the next school personnel to receive the funds allotted for a certain project or program, this phenomenological study explore the experiences of public school teachers on the MOOE allocation in basic education system. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of public school teachers on the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allocation in Basic Education System. This study involved public secondary school teachers assigned in the third district of Davao City. This research study envisions to account and document the experiences, strategies and insights of public school teachers regarding the MOOE allocation in Basic Education System. This Phenomenological study was designed to know and understand the experiences of the research participants as they narrated their sentiments regarding MOOE allocation, steps and decisions they took and insights they can share with their experiences [68]. This study aimed to answer a number of questions. First, what are the experiences of the public school teachers regarding the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allocation in Basic Education System? Second, how do the teachers handle the sentiments regarding the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) allocation? Thirdly, what are